Gemma Hallett

Gemma Hallett

Date of birth	(1981-08-24) 24 August 1981
Place of birth	Pontypridd
Height	5'11
Weight	88 kg (194 lb)
School	Ysgol Gyfun Llanharry
University	University of Central Lancashire
Occupation(s)	miFuture Founder
Rugby union career
Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2001–2005 2002–2014 2004 2010–2014 2005 2011 2014 2014 UCLAN & Preston Pontyclun Falcons Wales Student & Wales A Cardiff Blues Sydney Eastern Suburbs Stoke NewZealand Cardiff Blues Select Nomads () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2006 - 2013  Wales 35 5
Official website
http://www.mifuture.co.uk

Gemma Hallett (born 24 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union player who has played second row and number 8, earning 35 caps for Wales.

Hallett started her international career making her appearance in the Welsh Students squad in April 2004 coached by Nadine Griffiths. Hallett along with scrum half Laura Prosser were selected to join the Welsh Development team where they played in fixtures against England A, both Hallett and Prosser were late call up replacements for the injured Mellissa Berry and Beth Gallacher for the national squad tour of South Africa in the summer of 2004.^[1] Hallett came off the bench to earn her first taste of senior international rugby to face Eastern Province.^[2]

She was part of the Welsh team that won the Triple Crown in 2009 and^[3] was involved in the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup.^[4] and secured qualification for the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.^[5][6]

Since retiring from rugby Gemma has also been a Sky Sports pundit for the 2014 Rugby World Cup and commentator for the Women's Six Nations, for the BBC and World Rugby Live feed.

A former college lecturer, she founded miFuture in 2015 which is a better way of connecting Generation Z with careers.^[7]

Rugby career

Early Years

After impressing then coach Nadine Griffiths for the Welsh students squad whilst in university, Hallett was invited to join the tour to South Africa in 2004. It is during this time a desire to play for the National squad took hold.

In 2005 following her graduation, she embarked on a season playing in Australia for Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. She enjoyed a season of running rugby where she played at No. 8, and captained the team against a touring Singapore side.

Following her return to Wales, and a switch of positions to second row, she made her full Wales International debut earning her first cap against Italy in the Autumn of 2006 at Cardiff's Glamorgan Wonderer's ground, followed a week later by a starting position against the Netherlands at Llanrhumney playing fields.

She scored her only international try against Sweden in November 2009.^[8]

Hallett became a regular international from 2006-2010 where she earned 30 caps, involved in each squad, only missing two games through a knee medial injury during the 2008 six nations.^[9]

Hallett played a key role starting in all of Wales's World Cup games at England 2010. A tournament which saw her struggling with an allergic reaction to the antibiotics she was taking to combat a viral infection. She was ordered to bed rest for the days in between matches during the later part of the tournament.^[10]

This tournament was said to be her last as she retired from the sport. Yet during her travels and blogging for the WRU^[11] whilst following Wales men at the 2010 World Cup, Hallett found herself playing for Nelson, New Zealand. Playing in every game and thoroughly enjoying the expansive rugby, and learning new skills back at no.8 she helped Nelson secure a top the league finish in 2011.^[12]

Return to Wales

Having a renewed passion for the game Hallett returned to Wales and her Welsh club Pontyclun^[13] to continue playing one more season at amateur level. Following a series of good performances, echoing the style she had enjoyed in New Zealand, she captured the eyes of Regional and National coaches and was called back into the National set up.^[14][15] She was made Vice Captain for the 2013 Six Nations squad and captained the team in their warm up fixtures and game against France for the injured skipper Rachel Taylor.^[16] Her last game for Wales was the final 6 nations games against England that year.

The same season Hallett was named Premiership Player of The Year at the annual WRU women's dinner, where she was presented with a trophy by her playing idol; Scott Quinnell.^[17]

Hallett also captained the Cardiff Blues squad in 2012 and 2013 campaigns. In 2013, she made history in being the first woman to captain a Cardiff Blues side at the Cardiff Arms Park. During this campaign she led the Blues team to be regional champions after a thrilling match against the Ospreys.^[18] She openly expressed this as one of her proudest rugby moments.^[19]

Overlooked by Wales

After her most successful season in rugby Hallett was dropped from the Welsh squad and failed to make Rhys Edwards' 2014 Six Nations squad due to what seemed to be a difference in opinion with the coaching staff. Hallett has since proclaimed that she voiced her disapproval over the WRU managements decision to withdraw Wales Women from the RBS 6 Nations tournament and into a second tier competition.^[20] In leading a player objection and meeting with senior WRU management on the matter it is thought by many that she sealed her own fate, and as a result would never play for Wales again.

Being out of the international set up allowed Hallett the opportunity to represent invitational team the Nomads in World Cup 2014 warm up matches against Wales at the National Centre of Excellence and two fixtures against South Africa in their World Cup preparations in England.

Her final game came in November 2014 where she led the Cardiff Blues invitational team against the Combined Services, in a special commemorative match marking 100 year anniversary of remembrance, played at the Cardiff Arms Park.^[21] It was a game Hallett cherished on Twitter as things came full circle; ending her playing career alongside scrum half Laura Prosser and coached by Nadine Griffiths, in the same circumstances how her career began back in 2004. A fitting end to a 10 year journey.^[22]

Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Whilst working as a PE teacher Gemma identified a growing need for supporting young adults into suitable employability routes for life after school, but It wasn't until Gemma detached and took some time out travelling, where she connected with a broad range of interesting and inspired people, that she was able to conceive the idea. She explaines; "One evening I mentioned my personal frustrations and those of my learners. The other travellers agreed and could resonate having not long gone through the process themselves. Lost in the passion I felt telling my story, I had what I can only describe as an epiphany. I declared: "We need a Facebook for careers" an individualised connection to all their options. I remember this intense feeling of excitement in the pit of my stomach, as everyone around me gave a "hell yeah" or "that's perfect".^[23]

As a result of this drive Gemma set about facilitating conversations, steering groups and workshops with over 2000 young Welsh people to help shape how the solution should look and feel, from that the miFuture App was born.^[24] She realised that to be able to achieve social change and make a real impact that her idea would need to become a business. So adopted the ‘one for one’ business model, where for each subscription purchased through miFuture App, proceeds directly fund activities for miFuture Foundation, which provides engagement and support for those about to leave education, unsure of options or furthest from the labour market.^[25]

Her story was recently featured in the Tech Partnership to inspire other young entrepreneurs to venture down the Tech route^[26] She recognised whilst teaching that the careers service and guidance of today's generation isn't fit for purpose and needed to be modernised^[27].

Gemma's entrepreneurial spirit along with miFuture's innovative approach being recognised in a series of awards and programmes, namely awarded the 2016 Insider magazine 'Rising Star',^[28] Caerphilly Business Forum Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist^[29] Blue Rock-ed Dragons Den Runner Up^[30][31] Start-up Accelerator Award^[32] and Tech Business of the Month.^[24] Gemma's position as an educator and social entrepreneur has put her at the leading edge of the Generation Z specialists, championing their cause at events, round tables and consortium throughout Wales, it's widely accepted that she is in a unique position of understanding Gen Z behaviour and drivers and is thought to have coined the term 'Career Bounce' in reference to their need for flexibility and freedom in the future.^[33]

miFuture App

At the heart of miFuture is revolutionary matching technology that helps young adults discover suitable careers that match their personal Digital Career Profile. miFuture has created an engine that combines big data with small gestures on a small screen to match its audience of young people ready to make career decisions.

With the mission to reinvent the recruitment process for Gen Z in Wales, the trial was a great success and miFuture is now being developed for launch in 2018 to further provide a solution for recruiters. “Our smart algorithm selects relevant candidates for you. No more searching and lengthy pre-selection, no more expensive and generic recruitment campaigns. The whole process improves the careers process for our Gen Z users, it's now quicker, smarter and easier for all involved”. Gemma Hallett, miFuture CEO & Founder.^[34]

As the most tech native generation ever, Gen Z move fluidly in and out of apps, messages and social channels. Combine this with their intention to career bounce, search and apply through mobile, you have a completely different cohort to engage with. miFuture is the only platform that delivers real time pre- qualified career matches solely to Gen Z. At its core, miFuture connects our users with opportunities in earning, learning, training and volunteering through a single digital profile. A web and mobile application that bridges the gap between the minds of 16-24 year old's making career choices as they approach school, college or university leaving age. Through miFuture you can leverage Gen Z's mobility and sociability to keep your brand ahead in the candidate pool^[35].

Using industry- disruptive behaviour miFuture showcase career opportunities to young people through online and mobile platforms that resonate and engage like never before. In doing so, Gemma has created a more appropriate, time and cost effective model benefiting both users and recruiters.^[36] miFuture has four clearly defined USP's for recruiters and marketers to benefit from using their technology to promote career opportunities to young people, the miFuture brand aims to save time and money, pinging opportunities and your brand in to the hands of pre-qualified Gen Z'ers, allowing earning, learning, training and volunteering providers to target suitable candidates and receive applications direct to your inbox and dashboard.^[37]

miFuture Foundation

Along with other forward thinking business and education leaders Gemma has formed the miFuture Foundation to partner education and community providers giving careers support to Gen Z. The Foundation is social enterprise on a mission to moblsie 100,000 young people towards employability and propserity. With a vision of increase the employability of young people in Wales through miFuture's digital profile and a providing young adults of employment age with real time, individualised and responsive career matched opportunities^[38].

Gemma is obviously passionate and states her intention on LinkedIn 'As a founding member of miFuture Foundation, we have a clear mission of 'mobilising generation Z towards employability' with a vision of capturing and re-engaging unemployed youth and NEETs, as well as providing a preventative tool for those about to leave full time education and training. Through our foundation we can drive real social change by inspiring young people that are at risk or need that support".^[39]

Awards and Recognition

Gemma has received the following recognition:

2018 Chwarae Teg Womenspire Awards - Nominated^[40]

2018 Sir Micheal Moritz Tech Start-up Award - Finalist^[41]

2018 Best New Talent Award - Finalist^[41]

2018 Unltd Social Entrepreneur Award - Winner^[42]

2017 Tech4Good Community Impact Award - Runner Up^[43]

2016 Entrepreneur of the Year - Finalist^[44]

2016 Insider Wales Magazine - Rising Star^[45]

References

External links

• Rugby World Interview
• Gemma Hallett RWC2010 Squad Announcement
• World Cup 2010 Images
• Hallett Returns to International Rugby
• Player Stats
• World Cup Supporters Blog
• miFuture Website
• Gem Hallett Twitter
• Gem Hallett LinkedIn
• Gem Hallett Blog